Read Up and Down for Free Online

media and social media campaign to get the word out, I think there are literally millions of average Canadians who would love to fly on the shuttle and spend a few days floating around the International Space Station, even throwing up in zero gravity, a near certainty for a considerable number of astronauts. And I don’t think we’d have any trouble generating entries. It’s big and bold, and I believe nothing short of this will meet the challenge NASA has given us. Here endeth the sermon,” I said as sat back down.
    There was a long pause, and I waited for Diane to announce that she wanted my idea added to the deck before it was sent to D.C. Nope. She was waiting for Amanda.
    “Interesting idea but I don’t think so,” Amanda began. “It’s soundly conceived, but we have to be realistic and not push them too far. These are very risk-averse people, according to Crawford. We can’t afford to scare them off. If we presented this, we’d blow way over on the crazy-o-meter. Think of the liability issues of sending Joe Public into space. It’s a non-starter. Nice effort, but a non-starter.”
    That hurt. But I wasn’t done yet. I looked towards Diane in the hope that she’d overrule Amanda. But she was just looking serenely across the table into space. Okay, now I was done. Diane finally broke the silence.
    “Okay, so that’s it then. Nice job on developing the idea, David. With a different client in the chair, I think it could have worked,” she said as she stood. “Thanks, everyone. Amanda, you can tie it up with a bow and send it off to Crawford.”
    A minute or two later I was licking my wounds in my cubicle when Diane stuck her head in.
    “Don’t be bummed at what just happened. That was an impressive performance for an agency tenderfoot. I liked what I saw, so don’t stop doing that,” she said. “Also, I think you should try to get to know Amanda a bit better. It’ll help both of you.”
    With that, she was gone, and I could turn to Google for a definition of “tenderfoot.” I found it in less than three seconds. “A newcomer not yet hardened to rough outdoor life.” I could live with that. The NASA deck was still in front of me and with not much on my plate, I idly flipped through it. Something caught my eye and gave me a second reason to leave the pit and head over to Amanda’s office on the nicer side of the floor.
    “Hi,” I said after I’d stood in her doorway for a few seconds without catching her eye. I startled her and she jerked just a bit, then tried to cover it up. Jumpy.
    “Oh, David. You know you really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”
    She sounded annoyed.
    “Sneak up? I just walked down the middle of the corridor in broad daylight and stopped right here in your doorway. You were clearly focused on your work. Next time I’m going to start calling your name gently when I’m getting close.” I smiled as I said it.
    She’d returned her attention to her laptop by this time.
    “I just didn’t hear you, that’s all,” she snapped.
    “Well, I guess I walk softly. Diane says I have tender feet.”
    Amanda didn’t get it. Now she looked annoyed, too.
    “So, David, what’s up? I’ve got a lot going on right now.”
    “Has the NASA deck gone to Washington yet?”
    “I was just about to push the button. Why?”
    “Check out page six, in the capabilities section. There’s a mention of GM when I’m pretty sure you mean NASA .”
    A deep furrow immediately appeared in her forehead as her eyebrows came together in the shape of a capital M. For most, it would have been a lowercase m, but she had very athletic eyebrows. Quite striking, in fact. She abused the wheel on her mouse trying to find the offending slide, and then leaned in closer to read. I heard her sharp intake of breath.
    “Shit! I was just about to send this. I would have looked like an idiot in front of Blake,” Amanda said as she corrected the line.
    “No harm done. How did you manage to type GM